‘Ministers have been accused of pushing through “disastrous” probation reforms as it emerged the number of offenders recalled to prison for breaching bail conditions has surged by more than a quarter in four years.’

‘The number of rapes, murders and other serious crimes committed by offenders on parole has risen by more than 50% since reforms to probation were introduced four years ago, according to official data that has triggered calls for the government to rethink its plans for another shake-up of the service.’

‘Ministers are being warned that a proposal to scrap prison sentences of six months or less will only work if there is more investment in the probation services. The government says this approach in England and Wales’ prisons could reduce overcrowding and re-offending.’

‘The government expects probation providers to offer monthly face-to-face meetings with offenders during the first year of supervision, the lord chancellor has told MPs concerned about the government’s approach to rehabilitation.’

‘The number of offenders charged with serious crimes including murder, manslaughter and rape while they were being monitored in the community has jumped by more than a fifth in a year in England and Wales, the Guardian can reveal.’

‘Tens of thousands of victims of domestic abuse and children are being put at further risk of harm by privatised offender supervision companies whose staff lack the skills, experience and time to supervise perpetrators, according to a new report.’

‘The monitoring of offenders in the community faces another shake-up after disastrous reforms introduced by Chris Grayling forced the government to bail out failing private probation companies by more than half a billion pounds.’

‘The government must overhaul its “mess” of a botched programme to privatise probation that is failing against every measure and may threaten public safety, MPs have said.
An eight month inquiry by the Justice Committee found that the controversial Transforming Rehabilitation scheme had created a “two-tier” service seeing vital services outsourced to loss-making contractors.’

‘Ex-offenders trying to turn their lives around face a bleak future, a probation inspector has warned, as ambitious government plans to boost the role of charities and volunteers in the probation service have failed to materialise.’

‘Private companies are failing to enforce the sentences handed down by courts, leaving convicts to commit more crime or simply disappear, a damning report has found. HM Inspectorate of Probation said firms commissioned in a 2014 overhaul of the service are “stretched beyond their capacity”.’

‘The vast majority of companies set up to tackle reoffending as part of a controversial drive to privatise the probation service have failed to meet their targets, in a substantial embarrassment for the government.’

‘Private probation companies responsible for supervising more than 200,000 offenders in England and Wales face total losses of more than £100m, even after a £342m “bailout” by the Ministry of Justice, MPs have been told.’

‘Victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys have welcomed a possible reversal of the Parole Board’s decision to release him this month amid growing calls at Westminster for a urgent review of the case.’

‘Lawyers for victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys reacted with anger after it emerged they have not been consulted on the terms of his release licence, which are due to be discussed on Thursday.’

‘The part-privatisation of the probation service has led to tens of thousands of offenders – up to 40% of the total – being supervised by telephone calls every six weeks instead of face-to-face meetings, the chief inspector of probation has revealed.’

‘Hundreds of high-risk prisoners, many of them sex offenders, are being released each year from Dartmoor prison without proper preparation, in a “shocking and unacceptable” public protection failing identified by the chief inspector of prisons.’